BugsyML711

I have a 1992 Camaro RS, 305 700R4. I hate to be that guy who tells a long story, but i need the advice. i also hate to be that guy who brings up 4th gen camaros in a 3rd gen forum, but i used to have a 99 z28 which got totaled. the thing of it is, i love my car, the RS. I got it when my z28 (which i loved as well) was wrecked from a friend of mine who was trying to help me out and therefore it has sentimental value. It was always a strong car, even with 180K miles it never quit. Unfortunately, when i went on deployment a few years ago it started sitting in the garage, and i was under the ignorant impression it would never pass smog in it's condition, and when i came home i started driving my father in law's old truck, so the RS sat in the garage for about three years, only started by me every now and again when i could dig it out of all the crap my wife and kids threw on top of it (and yes, that still makes me mad to know that). but at this point, i've brought it out of retirement and it was running great until a couple of weeks ago, i ran into a fuel pump problem, fixed that, now it's idling and starting rough, and when i got to work this morning it was smoking from behind the air cleaner right about where the distributor is, but i couldn't find what was actually smoking. and truthfully, as much as i love that car, i think the fact that it sat in the garage for so long ruined it.

now, i know that the 4th gen (because i had the z28 before) is a bad mama jama. but i know the 3rd gen has lots of potential too. Having a wife and three kids and a father in law i house and feed, my budget is pretty tight, and i don't know how much more money i can keep putting into this car. not to mention, i know that unless i swap to a 350 i'll never get the power that i want.

i know it sounds like my mind is made up, but it's not. i have too many other things like sentimental value and what not that really impedes my judgement. so on the one hand, i have a 92 RS that i can more easily work on but not afford to do the upgrades i really want (i would be limited by my budget to just driving it as a cruising car), or keep fixing it for that matter. on the other hand, for $2K i could have another 4th gen which may need a throwout bearing, and will probably last me until i can afford to go for the 383 stroker.

please, whatever advice and input could be provided will be greatly appreciated. i am definitely limited in practical judgement by the things that pull the heart strings lol. i guess the more objective advice i can read, the more likely i'll be able to make an educated decision.

thanks in advance!

TA

iTrader: (1)

I think many young people fall into the trap of thinking they can have a cool project car as a daily driver. From my many years of experience, you need some little rat-box as transportation, then you can explore learning about, hanging out and creating the automotive monster of your choice. There are a number of converted RS's out there that will show their taillights to 99 percent of the cars on the road, but it is not easy to do, there is a huge learning curve, and you must maintain a car that is starting to suffer from parts scarcity (but values are starting to climb!)
LS-1s are comparatively easy to go fast with and the cars and engines have many advantages for performance purposes, but the flip side of that coin is that you can be completely clueless and still have a fast LS-1 car, and if you race it against a third gen, you better win or hide your face in shame. I've had both and know both very well. It just depends on your priorities.

Thank you for your service.
TA

IrocZ442

I think racing is a bunch of hype. There isn't any of what Ta is mentioning as long as you dont go calling out cars an combos out there in regards to drag racing.
So you know an understand a thirdgen is much more valuable sentimental wise over a totaled 4thgen.. It takes a lot of work to get a head of those thirdgen bugs an have a great car. We always hear this story an some dont have the money a classic thirdgen needs.
There's a lot of good deals out there for good used parts. You should already have your platform build in your mind already. So given that what more is there to ask. You have the condition of the car better than we. So you'll know what to do. Good Luck with what ever you choose. An no you didn't create a fourth Gen story.

ringo234

I've been having my IROC upgraded. I do very little work myself for various reason. I've made a lot of upgrades over 10 years.
If it was my 92 RS i would keep it and upgrade as you can afford it. Besides, of all the generations of Camaros the 4th gen was the ugliest IMO.

BugsyML711

thanks for your input everyone! The main reason i was really considering the 99 Z28 was because it is literally EXACTLY the same as the one i had before, and like you said TA, those cars can haul some serious *** out of the box. But at the end of the day i do want a car i can work on, moreso than just bolt ons. And you're right, the value of these cars is starting to climb, perhaps 4th gen values will drop and that could be another toy further down the road. As for the platform build, what i have in mind (and i do have to say, i love the 3rd gen so much more than the 4th as far as handling is concerned), is to drop in a 350, bored and stroked to 383. There's a website that sells the stroker kit for 500 bucks, SUPPOSEDLY no need for clearance cutting. And i figure with it being 300 pounds lighter, that should be one bad mamajama. Ideally, i want to find an L98 to do that to, but how hard are those to come by? I mean, i've seen 91 and 92 Chevy vans and trucks in junkyards, what would be the odds of those carrying an L98?

Mr.84TransAmer

The truth is you don't see all that many thirdgens on the road anymore, but I still see at least a few fourth gens a week. If you can bring your RS back up to speed and with a decent paint job, you'll definitely have a head turner there and an overall special car, moreso when you realize how much blood and sweat you put into it yourself bringing it back from the brink. Our thirdgens were the underpowered harbingers of the FI era, so what better than to make a nice sleeper out of one?

BugsyML711

yeah that would be nice. here's a quick question, my car was running really rough yesterday, i checked the timing and it was REALLY advanced, like 10 degrees BTDC. I adjusted it (i know it's supposed to be at 0) to 4, so it would run a little stronger. after shocking myself twice and tightening down the distributor bolt i shut it off and when i started it back up it jumped to 5 degrees BTDC. I drove it twice, once last night to pick up dinner and today i drove to work, and on my way out it's running rough again like the timing jumped further. what the **** could be causing the timing to jump forward like that?

ringo234

pretty sure timing is 6°BTDC ±3°